Landing-gear for aeroplanes.



G. C. LOENING.

LANDING GEAR FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 19I5.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

a. 3mm

Unrr

GROVER CLEVELAND LOENING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LANDING-GEAR non AEnoPLANEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application filed June 30, 1915. Serial No. 37,151.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GROVER CLEVELAND LOENING, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and

a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Landing-Gears for Aeroplanes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to improve the landing gears ofaeroplanes, and more particularly to secure an especially simple andlight, yet strong, construction and to provide for advantageousapplication and distribution of the landing stresses. These ends areattained by certain novel features of construction and relationship andcombinations of parts, which will now be briefly explained by referenceto a preferred embodiment, and hereinafter more particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the said pre ferred embodiment and forminga part hereof: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane providedwith my landing gear, the latter being in vertical longitudinal section,the plane of the section intersecting the axle intermediate the strutframes; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of Fig. 1 with portions of the wingsbroken away; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section takenin the plane of the bridge and anchorage of Fig. 4, the clip andelastics being shown in elevation; Fig. 4 is a front elevation oftheparts shown in Fig.3, the adjacent wheel and protecting washer beingin section; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view looking at theouter side of the lower portion of the strut frame shown in Figs. 3 and4, showing the slotted plates and anchorage.

In these views a represents the body, of.

suitable construction, and b the planes.

The embodiment of my landing gear herein illustrated comprises twoapproximately V-shape strut frames 2, which project downward fromopposite sides of the body, and which may be inclined outward as shownin order to secure a comparatively wide wheel base. Each strut framecomprisestwo converging struts 3 and 4, preferably of wood and ofstream-line cross-section, the upper ends of the struts being rigidlysecured to the body, and theproximate, lower ends of each pair being inabutting relation, as indicated in Fig. 3. The lower end of the Vframesare preferably cut off on a straight line for the reception of theanchorages presently to be described. The members of the frames thusformed are united by slotted plates 5, disposed in pairs at oppositesides of the lower ends of each pair of struts, to which they areaffixed by bolts passing through the plates and struts, certain of thebolts being designated 6. Portions of these plates overlap the spacesbetween the struts of the frames, and in these portions are elongatedslots 7 ranging upward and preferably somewhat rearward, to receive andguide the axle 8 of wheels 9. The relative upward movement thuspermitted to the axle upon alighting is yieldingly opposed by resilientshock-absorbing means, composed preferably of a number of separateelastics 10, known in the art. The said elastics are connected at theirupper ends to bridges 11,

resting on the portions of the axle which project beyond the strutframes, and at their lower ends to anchorages 12 fixed to the outersides of said frames at their lower ends beneath the said axle portions.The said brid'ges, which, broadly, are not new in themselves, mayconsist each of spaced, centrally notched plates 13 disposed in verticalplanes transversely of the axle and connected by a half tubular bearing14 and spanned by a row of transverse pins 15 for the reception of theelastics. A bridge of thisform merely rests on its support and cantherefore be readily taken off and replaced, but I find that it isinclined to chatter; and to overcome this drawback I have provided asplit collar or clip 28, which encircles the bearing 14 and the axle andthus holds the bridge reliably without sacrificing the advantage ofready removability.

Each of the anchorages 12 is shown as constituted by two bent plates 16and 17, this construction being of especial advantage for its ease ofproduction and repair, and being specifically claimed hereinafter,though an integral formation is not necessarily excluded. The inner ofthese plates 16 is applied against the outer face of the correspondingstrut frame, that is to say,against the outer slotted plate 5, while theother anchorage plate 17 is'carried outward from the said plate 16, sothat a channel portion is formed, the sides of which support a rowofpins 18 for the elastics. The plate 17 of each anchorage is alsoextended inward (at 19) as a bearing beneath the lower end of the frame,and thence upward (at 20) at the inner side of the frame, against theinner of the slotted plates 5. The plate 16 and the portion 20 of theinward extension of the plate 17 are thus disposed at opposite sides ofthe strut frame, enabling both plates to be secured to the frame andunited to each other by a set of bolts 2 which also pass through theslotted plates 5 and serve in part to unite the latter to the struts andto hold the struts together, thus economizing parts and saving weight.

The inner portions 20 of the anchorages preferably terminate inprojecting flanges or lugs 22. These serve for the reception of thelower ends of tension wires 23, which extend diagonally and laterallyupward, in crossing relation, inwardly of the strut frames, to the bodya, to which their upper ends are secured at points laterally remote fromthe corresponding anchorages. In this way a portion of the landingstresses transmitted through the elastics 10 to the anchorages is inturn directly transmitted to the tension wires and by them distributedover the body or frame of the machine. Any tendency to lateral bendingor tilting of the strut frames is thus overcome, the portion of thestresses which is not taken up as a tension in the wires acting as athrust in the plane of each frame. Moreover, owing to the directconnection of the diagonal tension wires to the anchorages, the stressesacting upon these parts are equalized at opposite sides of the strutframes, and consequently the tendency of the elastics to displace ordistort the anchorages is overcome. It will be observed, also, that thebearing portions 19 beneath the frames relieve the bolts 24 of shearingstresses. Furthermore the anchorages, because of their angular orflanged formation supply lateral beam strength to the lower ends of thestrut frames, strengthening the latter against stresses which might tendto displace the struts in relation to each other. To complete thebracing of the structure, the strut frames are preferably connected bythe transverse thrust and tension members comprising a bar 25 and a wire26.

Where the axle is solid or bodily movable as illustrated, there is anopportunity for side-play, which is desirable, and in order to protectthe wheels from contact with the anchorages I mount on the axle at theinner sides of the wheels large washers 27 I It is to be understood,however, that I do not limit myself to bodily movable axles, as

divided axles hinged in the middle are well known in the art and couldobviously be used in my landing gear if desired. The said Washers arepreferably of dished formation, their concave sides being next thewheels, and as shown may be confined at their central apertures betweencollars 29 on the axle and the inner ends of the hubs 30 of the wheels.In this way the washers are themselves held out of contact with thespokes 31 in addition to preventing the lat ter from touching theanchorages.

In general, the invention is not necessarily confined to the preciseforms of construction shown, since various modifications andsubstitutions within the spirit of the invention will suggest themselvesto those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a landing gear for flyingmachines, laterally spaced downwardprojecting V strut frames, each comprising a pair of downward convergingstruts and a pair of slotted plates disposed at opposite sides of theproximate ends of said struts and bolted through and uniting the same,and a wheel axle guided in said slotted plates, in combination withanchorages united with said slotted plates and held in place by the samebolts, bridges supported on the axle, and elastic bands connecting saidanchorages and bridges.

2.-In a landing gear for flying machines, the combination of laterallyspaced downward projecting V strut frames having slotted plates securedto the sides thereof at the bottom, a wheel axle guided in said plates,anchorages united with said slotted plates at the outer sides of thestrut frames, bridges supported on the portions of the axles extendingoutwardly from the strut frames, and elastics connecting said anchoragesand bridges.

3. In an aeroplane, the combination with a body, of laterally spaced Vstrut frames comprising downwardly convergent struts and slotted platesunited therewith at their proximate lower ends, a wheel axle guided insaid plates, anchorages bolted to the outer sides of the strut frames attheir lower ends, said anchorages having inward extensions, resilientmeans connected to said anchorages for opposing relative upward movementof the axle, and tension wires secured to the said inward extensions ofthe anchorages and extending therefrom diagonally and laterally upwardand secured to the body.

4. In a flying machine, the combination of laterally spaced downwardprojecting strut frames, a wheel axle guided for relative upwardmovement in the lower portions of said strut frames, anchorages securedto the lower ends of said frames at the outer sides thereof, bridges onthe portions of the axle 5. In an aeroplane, a landing gear comprisinglaterally spaced downward-projecting strut frames, a wheel axle guidedfor upward movement in the lower portions of said frames, anchoragessecured to the lower ends of said frames, each of said anchoragescomprising a channel portion containing a row of transverse pins for thereception of elastics to oppose relative upward movement of the axle,said channel portion being disposed at the outer side of thecorresponding frame, the anchorage comprising also portions extendedinward beneath the lower end of the frame and upward at the inner sidethereof, and bolts passing through the lower ends of each strut frameand the portions of the corresponding anchorage at opposite sidesthereof to unite the anchorage to the frame.

6. In a flying machine, the combination of laterally spaced downwardprojecting strut frames, a wheel axleguided for upward movement in thelower portions of said frames, anchorages secured to the lower ends ofsaid frames beneath the axle, each of said anchorages comprising achannel portion containing a row of transverse pins for the reception ofelastics to oppose relative upward movement of the axle, said channelportion being disposed at the outer side of the corresponding frame, theanchorages also comprising portions disposed beneath the lower end ofthe frame and at the inner sides thereof, and tension wires secured tothe portions of said anchorages inward of the frames and extendingdiagonally and laterally upward to suitable points of attachment on themachine.

7. A landing gear' for flyingmachines, comprising the combination oflaterally spaced downward projecting V strut frames, each comprising apair of converging struts and slotted plates bolted to the sides of theproximate lower portions thereof, an axle guided for relative upwardmovement in said slotted plates, resilient means for yieldinglyresisting such movement, anchorages for said resilient means disposed atthe sides of the strut frames below the axle, and bolts passingtransversely through the anchorages and through the slotted plates andstruts and serving for the uniting of the strutsand the securing of theanchorages and plates 8. A landing gear for flying machines, comprisingthe combination of laterally spaced downward projecting V strut frames,-

each comprising a pair of converging struts and slotted plates at thesides of the proximate lower portions thereof, an axle guided forrelative upward movement in said slotted plates, resilient means foryieldingly resisting such movement, anchorages for said resilient meansat the outer sides of the strut frames below the axle, tensionwire-attachstruts and the slotted plates and also securing theanchorages and wire attachn'ients, and tension wires secured to saidattachments and extending diagonally and laterally upward to suitablepoints of attachment on the machine.

9. A landing gear for aeroplanes comprising the combination of laterallyspaceddownward projecting V strut frames, each comprising a pair ofconverging struts, an axle guided for relative upward movement in thelower portions of said frames, resilient means for yieldingly resistingsuch movement, and anchorages for said resilient means comprisingmembers of angular cross-section bolted across the sides of the meetingends of said struts with portions disposed beneath the same andaffording lateral beam strength to the frames.

10. A landing gear for flying machines, comprising the combination oflaterally spaced downward projecting strut frames, an axle guided forrelative upward movement in the lower portions of said frames, elasticsacting to hold the axle down, anchorages for said elastics secured tothe outer sides of the lower ends of the strut frames .and havingbearing portions extended inward beneath the same, and tension wiressecured to the inner portions of said anchorages and extendingdiagonally and laterally upward to suitable points of attachment on themachine.

11. In an aeroplane, a landing gear com.- prising the combination oflaterally spaced downward projecting strut frames, a wheel axle guidedfor upward movement in the lower portions of said frames, anchoragessecured to the lower ends of said frames beneath the axle, each of saidanchorages comprising two plates supporting between them arow of pinsfor the reception of elastics to oppose relative upward movement of theaxle, the inner plate of each anchorage being applied against the outerside of the corresponding frame and the outer plate being carriedoutward away from the inner plate and being extended inward beneath thelower end of the frame and upward at the inner side thereof, and boltspassing through the lower ends of the frames and the portions of theanchorage plates at opposite sides thereof.

12. In a flying machine, a landing gear comprising the combination oflaterally spaced downward projecting strut frames,

of elastics to oppose relative upward movement of the axle, the innerplate of each anchorage being applied against the outer side of thecorresponding frame and the outer plate being carried out-ward away fromthe inner plate and being extended inward beneath the lower end of theframe and upward at the inner side thereof and terminating in aprojecting flange, bolts passing through the lower ends of the framesand the portions of the anchorage plates at opposite sides thereof, andtension wires secured to said flanges and extending diagonally andlaterally upward to suitable points of attachment on the machine.

13. In an aeroplane, a landing gear comprising, in combination,laterally spaced downward projecting V strut frames, each comprising apair of converging struts, slotted plates at the sides of the meetingends of said struts, an axle guided for relative upward movement in saidslotted plates, resilient means for yieldingly resisting such movement,anchorages for said resilient means secured to the frames below theaxle,

each of said anchorages comprising two plates, one of which is appliedagainst one side of the frame and the other plate having a portionspaced from the first and cooperating therewith to support a row ofanchorage pins, and being further provided with a portion disposedbeneath the lower ends of the struts and extended upward at the oppositeside thereof, and bolts passing transversely through the portions ofsaid anchorage plates at opposite sides of the frames, through thestruts, and also through the slotted plates lying therebetween.

14. In an aeroplane landing gear, the combination with laterally spacedframes, a wheel axle guided for relative upward movement therein,elastics for yieldingly resisting such movement, and bridges forreceiving the upper ends of said elastics, said bridges resting on theaxle so as to be removable therefrom without removing the wheels, ofclips encircling the axle and removably securing the bridges thereto.

GROVER CLEVELAND LOENING.

